Pond Eddy Bridge capacity downgraded

Need for repairs is urgent

By SANDY LONG

SHOHOLA, PA — After receiving the results of a recent “in-depth inspection” of the deteriorating Pond Eddy Bridge that connects the Pennsylvania community of Pond Eddy with the Town of Lumberland in Sullivan County, NY, PennDOT officials are moving swiftly to reduce risks by downgrading the structure’s load rating and commencing repairs.

The inspection, conducted by engineering firm Erdman Anthony, concluded that, at minimum, at least 15 beams within the bridge’s structure must be replaced. If repaired from above, the process will require closure of the bridge during daylight hours, followed by nightly reopening. A possible alternative, involving repair from below, would allow the bridge to remain open, but substantially increase the difficulty of the repair. The method of repair has not yet been determined.

The last in-depth inspection was conducted approximately 15 to 20 years ago. A more cursory inspection is conducted every two years.

“We’ve got some problems,” a grim-faced Bob Doble, PennDOT’s assistant engineer for design in District 4, said during a meeting held at the Shohola Township Municipal building on November 8. According to Doble, the bridge shows deterioration in all its members, with 14 of its stringers rated at less than seven tons. According to Doble, PennDOT has asked for emergency authorization from Harrisburg to begin the repairs.

As a result of the findings, the bridge’s current capacity of eight tons is being downgraded to four tons. When the bridge was built in 1904, its weight limit was 18 tons.

Nearly 25 landlocked houses and seasonal cabins lie on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge. Access to these homes is secured from the New York side of the Delaware River. Weight restrictions hamper emergency vehicle and service truck access.

Shohola fire chief Don Wall expressed concern over the diminished ability of fire department personnel to provide assistance to residents due to the bridge’s condition.

Shohola Township Supervisor George J. Fluhr said that the township has been advocating for a new bridge since 1982. The Pond Eddy Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the New York and Pennsylvania registers. Its uncertain future hinges on an unresolved dilemma related to preserving the bridge for its historic value. Wall urged that while historic preservation is important, the welfare of the residents should take priority.

Regarding the ongoing delay, Fluhr said, “We are very much afraid that the next meeting will be called after a tragedy has occurred.” In response to Fluhr’s question about whether the bridge repairs would delay the new bridge, Doble replied, “No.”

Until the bridge is repaired, barrels will be placed along its sides to force drivers to the middle and away from the defective beams. The proposed repairs would allow the bridge to reopen with a carrying capacity of seven tons.

PennDOT plans to post signage at the bridge to alert drivers to the new weight restrictions. “People are going to have to be respectful of the posting,” Doble said repeatedly.